HSJ Information’s Post

Explore the impact of capacity issues in pharmacy aseptic manufacturing units on cancer treatment options. Tune into my 'Soundbites from the NHS' interview featuring Rob Duncombe, the Chief Pharmacist at The Royal Marsden. Questions covered: 1: The challenges of the aseptic manufacturing units 2: Overcoming the challenges 3: Capacity issues influencing treatment choices 4: Are treatment change decisions being made locally or by the cancer alliances? 5: Demonstrating the value of switching treatments 6: Challenges for the NHS & aseptic manufacturing units forward 7: Implications of the closures of aseptic manufacturing units 8: What can industry do to support manufacturing of cancer treatments? Link to the series: https://lnkd.in/eMnKfR9n

Whilst the impact of capacity issues in aseptics is well known by many in my network, I found these soundbites to be really interesting. The breakdown into topical Q&As is easy to follow and a great way of raising awareness for colleagues who may not have similiar awareness. There is no single lever that can be pulled to resolve the issues, but it is great to hear reinforcement of the need for investment in existing aseptic facilities, product standardisation and a move to subcutaneous formulations by industry.

🎗Cancer Survivors care 🔺People are living longer after a cancer diagnosis because of advances in early detection and treatment. 🔺Everyone is at risk of developing cancer. 🔺Yet, people with a personal history of cancer are at greater risk than people who have never had cancer. 🔺Medical and public health professionals can help prepare patients for the possible long-term and late effects of cancer and its treatment. 🔺That's where the survivorship care plan comes into play. 🔺Patients should receive survivorship care plans once their cancer treatment comes to a conclusion. 🔺Furthermore, they appoint the healthcare professionals responsible for different aspects of care. 🔺After completing their cancer treatment, many patients don't come back for follow-up care. 🔺This survivorship care plan can facilitate coordination and guidance of care between patients and their medical team, ensuring that patients receive the necessary follow-up treatment. 🔺Some cancer care programs now include plans to improve the standard of care. #healthservices #pharmacy #healthprofessionals #healthcareprofessional #pharmaceuticals #medicalcare #cancertreatment #heathcare #Radiotherapy #medicalequipment #medicaldevices #HealthIT #MedEd #Patient #Physicians #Telemedicine #oncology #cancerawareness #tumor #oncologycare #clinicaleducation #drugs #healthcare

A promising step in Cancer Care as Bristol Myers Squibb's immunotherapy combination - Opdivo plus Yervoy - has just received validation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for use as a first-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in adults. This therapy, aimed at those who haven't received prior systemic treatment, has shown encouraging results in Phase 3 trials 📉🩺 The CheckMate -9DW trial revealed that Opdivo plus Yervoy significantly improved overall survival rates compared to existing therapies like lenvatinib and sorafenib. With 62,000 HCC cases diagnosed annually in the European Union, this breakthrough could bring much-needed hope to many. The safety profile remains consistent with previous data, reassuring patients and practitioners alike. The findings were presented at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting, highlighting the potential of this combination therapy to transform HCC treatment 📢💊 #BristolMyersSquibb #HCC #Healthcare #Innovation #LifeSciences #ClinicalResearch #ClinicalTrials #LifeScience #ElixirAssociates #StaffingPartner

Due to its excellent prognostic performance, MRD is expected to be integrated into the NSCLC staging system as an accurate biological indicator, enabling more accurate clinical staging for patients and contributing to the realization of individualized treatment. MRD monitoring can be used as a good tool for patient whole-process management, efficacy evaluation, and treatment plan selection and optimization. MRD negative patients have the characteristics of low risk of relapse, good prognosis, and poor benefit with adjuvant therapy. Furthermore, no matter what stage patients were in and how adjuvant therapy was, if MRD could not be detected continuously, it may represent a potentially cured population. Therefore, the scale of adjuvant therapy for MRD negative patients should be reduced. MRD positive patients have a high risk of relapse, poor prognosis, sensitivity to treatment, and may need more active postoperative adjuvant therapy. If MRD-positive patients turn negative after treatment, this indicates that they are sensitive to treatment and have sustainable benefits. If MRD continues to be positive after treatment, or dynamic monitoring changes from negative to positive, this indicates that treatment is not sensitive, and that the treatment plan needs to be adjusted. With the continuous progress of diagnosis, new drug development, and treatment strategies, NSCLC may no longer be scary in the future. #ngs #liquidbiopsy #cancerresearch #ctdna #mrd

2024 Healthcare Change Maker: Dr. Joanna Gotfrit https://lnkd.in/gapTHzK9 Canada’s complex drug approval and funding process sometimes leads patients to experience long delays before their oncologists can prescribe the drugs that could change their lives. For Dr. Joanna Gotfrit, a medical oncologist at the The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre, the status quo leaves a lot to be desired. “As our population continues to age, I worry about increasing wait lists for care, especially for life-altering diseases such as cancer.” [see the full article for more] #specialtypharmaceuticals #Canada #patients #patientsfirst #healthoutcomes #data #healthcare #pharmaceuticalindustry #outcomes #innovation #access #drug #drugaccess #realworldevidence

#Digitalhealth monitoring company Elekta has teamed up with US #pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co to develop a #patient monitoring system for individuals diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This collaborative effort aims to create a digital module offering comprehensive #symptom monitoring and #patient support, allowing RCC patients to stay connected with their #healthcare team and access information about their condition, treatment, and potential side effects. The partners plan to validate the module later this year in collaboration with several leading #cancer clinics in Europe. Leveraging Elekta's Kaiku Health #digital platform, the solution focuses on patient engagement and outcomes monitoring, with the goal of providing structured support for symptom management and #educating patients about their disease and treatment. Read the article to find out more: https://lnkd.in/eHg5dfYX

🔬💊 Attention pharmaceutical and biotech companies! Are you truly understanding the needs of cancer patients in today's complex medical landscape? Drug makers face numerous obstacles in reaching the patients crucial for developing life-extending and life-saving treatments. Meanwhile, patient trust in some companies wavers. Are their concerns justified? Perhaps. With fierce competition for patient populations and the targeting of rare conditions, patients can feel lost in the shuffle. But at Leal Health, we're changing the game. We recognize that patients deserve more than impersonal online searches and rushed doctor visits. That's why we provide every patient with a dedicated point of contact—an expert with intimate knowledge of their specific cancer type and treatment options. Would you prefer approved therapies first? We've got you covered! Don't want to undergo chemotherapy? Let's explore your options together. Feeling like you've exhausted every avenue? We're here for the entire journey, supporting you every step of the way. In a world where oncologists are limited to mere minutes per visit, we offer patients the personalized support and guidance they deserve. No more sifting through endless articles or fearing the unknown. We empower patients to make informed decisions about their treatment journey, regardless of the sponsor. You need help finding resources during your treatment? We've got something for that too! Oncology treatment is tough, but together, we can make a difference. Join us at Leal Health, where we provide hope, support, knowledge, and empowerment to cancer patients every step of the way. Let's work together to revolutionize cancer care! 💪🩺 #LealHealth #CancerCare #PatientEmpowerment #ClinicalTrials #LealImpact #freeforpatients #oncology

The open-label randomized phase II OXEL study investigated the immunologic effects of nivolumab, capecitabine, or their combination in patients with triple-negative #BreastCancer (TNBC) post-neoadjuvant therapy, with the primary endpoint being the change in peripheral immunoscore (PIS). Forty-five women with residual invasive disease after standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy were randomized to receive nivolumab, capecitabine, or the combination. Results revealed that the combination of nivolumab plus capecitabine led to a significantly greater increase in PIS from baseline to week 6 compared to either agent alone, meeting the primary endpoint. Furthermore, the presence of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) was associated with disease recurrence, with no new safety concerns observed in the combination arm. These findings support the efficacy and safety of the nivolumab and capecitabine combination in TNBC and advocate for further research into PIS and ctDNA analyses to identify patients at high risk of recurrence. Source: Nature communications (Link to article in comments) Filipa Lynce, Candace Mainor Renee Donahue Xue Geng Greg Jones Ilana Schlam HongKun Wang Nicole Toney Caroline Jochems, MD PhD JAY ZECK Christopher Gallagher Rita Nanda erica stringer Neelima Denduluri MD, FASCO Julie Collins Shruti Tiwari Raquel Nunes Rebecca Kaltman, M.D. MARGARET ELENA GATTI-MAYS Paolo Tarantino Sara Tolaney Sandra M. Swain, MD, FACP, FASCO Paula R. Pohlmann Heather Parsons Claudine Isaacs

On August 14, 2024, the FDA approved Niktimvo (axatilimab-csfr) for the treatment of patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) who have progressed on at least 2 prior lines of systemic therapy. Axatilimab is a monoclonal antibody that targets colony stimulating factor-1 receptor, or CSF-1R, a cell surface protein thought to control the survival and function of monocytes and macrophages. In pre-clinical models, inhibition of signaling through the CSF-1 receptor has been shown to reduce the number of disease-mediating macrophages along with their monocyte precursors, which has been shown to play a key role in the fibrotic disease process underlying diseases such as chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The recommended dose of axatilimab dose in patients who weigh at least 40 kg is 0.3 mg/kg, up to a maximum dose of 35 mg, as an intravenous infusion administered over 30 minutes every 2 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. #Cancer #Oncology #Niktimvo #axatilimab #BoneMarrowTransplant #HSCT #GVHD #cGVHD #Moffitt #MoffittCancerCenter Moffitt Cancer Center